this is us

Angie could tell Dewey was not in a good mood. After all, they were both exhausted trying to get their own place settled in his mother's house. Actually, it would be the first time for them to sleep together.

"Try to stay calm," Angie said as she did her best to rub his back in his damp and sweaty Tee. "Its cool down here." She liked the basement. "You'll see, it'll get better." After all, they had all summer to work and get to know each other as a real couple.

"Why? Just why is she doing this to us?" He did not want to go to an amusement park.

"Because she loves you. She wants to spend time with you." She told him that he was the baby of the family, and that's the way it worked. He turned to her as if it wasn't always like that. What about her? She was the baby in the family too, and she'd ended up with her older brother, but was now here.

She sighed. Did she have to talk about her mother? Did he want to know how many boyfriends she had? How she always looked for one with money and could take her to a new destination.

"You know, I don't want to be anything like her." Angie didn't want to say she was from a broken home, but she knew long ago her mother always thought of herself. "Maybe, maybe that's why I'm so selfish."

Dewey wrapped his arms around her and told her it was not true.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear. She smiled as if he was really home. She knew it wasn't perfect and yet she was grateful his mother let them be together. Angie did feel as if the future would be steady and genuine.

Still, she wanted to do her part, keep their place clean, do as many chores in the house that she could. She would even cook. She wanted to be a part of Dewey's family.